


Relief

by Seraph_Novak



Series: Tyrus One-Shots [25]
Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: Basketball, Confessions, Crushes, Cute, Friendship, Happy Ending, Jealousy, M/M, Misunderstandings, One Shot, Tyrus - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-22
Updated: 2018-10-22
Packaged: 2019-08-06 03:28:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16380533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Seraph_Novak/pseuds/Seraph_Novak
Summary: When TJ and Buffy start acting strangely around each other, Cyrus misinterprets the situation and thinks TJ has a crush on Buffy.





	Relief

**Author's Note:**

> Hey, guys! More Tyrus because... well, I don't really have a reason. I just adore them!
> 
> As always, all comments and kudos are very much appreciated ♥
> 
> [My Tumblr](https://seraph-novak.tumblr.com)

“Well,” Buffy says, slinging her gym bag over her shoulder, “that was… interesting.”

TJ huffs a laugh. “It’ll get better.”

“I certainly don’t think it could get any _worse_.”

Cyrus watches as TJ reaches forward and squeezes Buffy’s shoulder, a reassuring smile softening his face. He knows he should be glad they’re finally getting along, but he can’t ignore the tightening knot of jealousy in the pit of his stomach.

“Trust me, Driscoll,” TJ says. “When I first became captain, my team was a wreck. Just give them some time, and they’ll improve. And if you need any help, you know where to find me.”

Cyrus winces. Those were some of the first words of friendship he’d ever offered to TJ, and now he was passing them down to Buffy. Why did that hurt so much?

“When did you turn so soft?” Buffy asks with a teasing (and slightly sceptical) smile.

TJ shrugs, flicking a look at Cyrus – so quick, he might’ve imagined it – then gives Buffy one last pat on the shoulder before pulling away.

“People change,” he says simply.

The wariness dissolves from Buffy’s face, replaced with a strange sort of understanding that makes Cyrus feel out of the loop.

“I suppose they do,” Buffy says. She stares at TJ for a moment longer, the two of them seemingly exchanging silent words through their eyes alone. After a while, she gives TJ a small, cryptic nod. “I guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” TJ says. He’s still staring at Buffy, as if contemplating the secret conversation they just had right in front of him, and Cyrus wishes the floor would swallow him up. “Seya.”

The heavy silence is pierced by the chiming of Buffy’s phone, vibrating against the pocket of her shorts. She fishes it out and smiles giddily down at the text she just received. Cyrus can tell immediately who it is, just by the rare blush dusting her cheeks. He risks a glance at TJ, expecting to see a flicker of jealousy cross his face, but the older boy seems completely indifferent.  

“It’s Walker,” Buffy says, confirming his suspicions. “He wants to know how the try-outs went. I’m meeting him at The Spoon.”

“Enjoy your date,” Cyrus offers weakly.

Buffy shoots him a questioning look, but another text from Walker distracts her from whatever she was about to say. After another round of goodbyes, she walks away, still smiling down at her phone, and leaves him and TJ alone in the gym together.

For too long, he doesn’t know what to say. Usually, with TJ, he’s at his most comfortable, but after the awkward situation that just transpired, he doesn’t know how to act around him. And what’s worse, TJ doesn’t even seem to realise anything awkward _did_ happen. He’s looking at Cyrus expectantly, his eyebrows raised as he waits for him to speak. But when Cyrus simply stares down at his feet and keeps his mouth shut, TJ decides to initiate the conversation.

“You okay, Underdog?” he asks. “You seem a little… quiet.”

Cyrus scuffs his toes against the basketball court, cringing at the squeaking noise it makes, and lifts his shoulder in a half-hearted shrug.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I just…” He sucks in a deep breath and looks up at TJ. “How do you feel about Buffy and Walker dating?”

TJ frowns, so deep it cuts a crease between his brows. “I don’t really have an opinion, I guess. I mean, I haven’t even met the guy.”

“But how do you feel about Buffy _dating_? You know, in general.”

“Um… I don’t really care?”

“It’s okay,” Cyrus says, trying his best to keep his voice from quivering with sadness. If he wants to support his friend, he needs to stay strong. This isn’t about him. “I know it sucks, having feelings for someone who doesn’t like you back. If you ever wanna talk about it, I’m here.”

TJ slowly shakes his head. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Your crush on Buffy,” Cyrus clarifies. “I know it’s tough, but it gets better, I promise –”

“I don’t have a crush on Buffy,” TJ says, half choking on a startled laugh. “Why the hell would you think that?”

Cyrus deflates, all the pent-up heartbreak punching out of him like a burst balloon. He could’ve sworn, based on all the soft, secretive smiles he and Buffy had been sharing during try-outs, that TJ had feelings for her. But now his mind is forced to reconsider every misinterpreted flirtation that’s occurred over the past few hours. If TJ doesn’t have a crush on Buffy, then why was he acting so weird around her? And why was Buffy looking at him like she knew something Cyrus didn’t?

“I’m confused,” he mumbles.

TJ takes his arm and gives it a gentle shake. “Why did you think I had a crush on Buffy?”

“I dunno,” he says, shrugging helplessly. “Because you’re both sporty and confident and attractive? And it makes sense, doesn’t it? The captain of the boys’ basketball team dating the captain of the girls’ basketball team. You’d be like the _ultimate_ power couple!”

“You do remember Buffy’s got a boyfriend, right?”

“I mean in theory!”

“This isn’t a movie, Cy. Just because me and Buffy like the same sport, doesn’t mean we’re secretly in love.”

“Yeah, but –”

“I don’t like Buffy, okay?” TJ takes him by the shoulders and stares him straight in the eye, grounding him with his steady gaze. “We’re just friends. And we probably wouldn’t even be _that_ if it weren’t for you.”

Cyrus allows himself to breathe, his shoulders slumping beneath TJ’s large hands. He’s still looking into TJ’s eyes, privately picking out the flecks of blue and brown swimming in the pools of pale green. For a big, scary jock, TJ is unfairly pretty. He has to hold back a dreamy sigh as he continues to stare, any shame he should be feeling clouded by the undeniable beauty of the boy standing before him. If he were braver, he’d tell TJ how handsome he is. He wonders if anyone has told him that before. It seems unlikely that he’s the first person to notice how stunning he is.

“That’s a relief,” he says, his words slightly groggy as he shakes himself out of his daze.

TJ quirks an eyebrow. “What’s a relief?”

“You not liking Buffy,” Cyrus says. It’s only when TJ’s eyes widen that he realises how that might sound, like he’s glad TJ doesn’t have a crush on Buffy because, well… It’s exactly how it sounds, but he doesn’t want TJ to know that, so he adds, “Buffy really likes Walker, so it’s a good thing you don’t have feelings for her. You’d only get hurt.”

“Oh,” TJ says. He sounds slightly disappointed, but that’s probably just Cyrus hearing what he wants to hear.

A few minutes pass in silence. TJ lets his hands slip from Cyrus’ shoulders and hang by his sides, twitching with the urge to do something. That’s a nervous habit of TJ’s: when he’s feeling anxious or stressed, he likes to keep his hands occupied to distract himself. Cyrus has always found it endearing.

“What did you mean before?” TJ suddenly asks, making him jump. “When you said you knew it sucks, having feelings for someone who doesn’t like you back. Have you… been through that before?”

Cyrus wrings his hands together, mirroring TJ’s nervousness. “I, um… Yeah. I have.”

“Who was it?”

“Jonah,” he says, not giving himself a chance to reconsider telling TJ the truth. “It was Jonah Beck. When he and Andi started dating, we became friends, and I… Well, I kind of became infatuated with him.” He tries to laugh, but it comes out as a gargled and pitiful squeak instead. “It’s pathetic, really.”

TJ presses his lips together. The expression on his face is unreadable, but if Cyrus had to take a guess, he’d say he was upset for some reason.

“It’s not pathetic,” TJ says, his voice small and broken. “Do you… Do you still like him?”

“No,” Cyrus says. He can’t help but smile at how easy it is to say that now. A few months ago, the idea of getting over Jonah seemed impossible, like an eternal prison inside his mind, but now his heart doesn’t so much as pinch at the thought of Jonah being with someone else.

TJ swallows thickly, his fingers flexing and unflexing.

“That’s a relief,” he says.

Cyrus frowns. “Because Jonah likes Andi?”

“No.” TJ clenches his fists and takes a step closer, his eyes flitting back and forth across Cyrus’ face. Up close, he can see his jaw is trembling, and Cyrus has to refrain from reaching forward and easing his nerves with the brush of his fingertips. He’s _this_ close to caving in and touching him when TJ takes him by surprise and says, “Because _I_ like _you_.”

He freezes, his heart ceasing in his chest. All he can do is open and close his mouth, but no sound comes out.

“I know you don’t like me back,” TJ says before Cyrus can remember how to speak again. “I mean, five minutes ago you thought I had a thing for Buffy, so… you obviously think I’m straight.”

The complete and utter defeat on TJ’s face is enough to snap him out of his stupor.

“I _did_ think you were straight,” he admits, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t like you! I tried not to at first, because of what happened with Jonah, but I couldn’t help it. And since you and Buffy became friends, you’ve been really weird and secretive around each other, so I just assumed… I mean, I never even _hoped_ you might like me back.”

TJ looks at him in stunned silence for a moment, and then a blinding grin breaks across his face. He ducks his head, dirty-blond hair flopping over his forehead, and chuckles.

“Buffy knows I like you,” he says, his words wobbly with laughter. “That’s why I’ve been acting weird around her. She figured it out a few weeks ago, and she’s been trying to convince me to tell you ever since. Today, before try-outs, I told her I was gonna tell you after everyone was gone.”

The meaningful smiles and nods suddenly make sense. Buffy and TJ weren’t flirting with each other; TJ was looking to Buffy for encouragement, and Buffy was offering her support through quiet gestures. Looking back, it was so obvious.   

“Well, this is a twist,” he says, a hesitant smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “I’ve been stressing over this for weeks! I thought I was gonna have to console you about Buffy, and I was _not_ looking forward to it…”

TJ gives him a lopsided grin, stepping closer until the toes of their shoes are touching.

“I might still need consoling,” he says teasingly, “depending on your answer to my next question.”

Cyrus tilts his head to the side. “What question?”

“Will you go out with me?”

Before the situation has even fully registered in his brain, Cyrus flings his arms around TJ, giggling like a pre-schooler as the older boy lifts him up and spins him around. The gym melts into a brown blur around them, and all he can see is the sparkle in TJ’s eyes, staring up at him with so much affection, it makes his heart ache. He buries his face in the crook of TJ’s neck and grins wider than he’s ever grinned before. By the time TJ lowers him back to the ground, his jaw is sore from smiling so much, but he couldn’t care less, not when TJ is smiling just as brightly.

“In case I wasn’t clear,” he says, slightly out of breath, “that was a ‘yes’.”

TJ takes his hand and kisses it.

“That’s a relief.”


End file.
